Part 3: Welcome to the Future—Algorithms are Running the Show

Welcome to 2025, where algorithms have stepped out of the shadows and firmly taken center stage. They’re not just assisting us—they’re driving the show. From curating your next Netflix binge to predicting what pizza you’ll crave on Friday night, algorithms have seamlessly woven themselves into the fabric of our lives. If you’ve ever wondered how a piece of code can know you better than your best friend, you’re in the right place.

A few weeks ago, I took my 6-year-old twin girls to The Sphere, the world’s largest spherical building and an immersive entertainment venue. Its awe-inspiring design left us breathless, but what truly stole the show were the robots stationed throughout the venue. My daughters, endlessly curious, started chatting with one of them. To my surprise, the robot wasn’t just polite or robotic—it was witty, charming, and playful.

The robot adored how much it loved twins, shared cheeky anecdotes, and carried on the kind of banter you’d expect from a favorite uncle. Watching my kids giggle and interact so naturally, I realized how far we’ve come. Technology isn’t just assisting us—it’s connecting with us.

This wasn’t an isolated experience. On Halloween, I surprised my daughters with a personalized phone call from none other than Wednesday Addams. Powered by AI, Wednesday’s voice was dripping with her signature deadpan humor, asking about costumes, sharing spooky stories, and cracking jokes. My girls were enthralled.

At that moment, I wasn’t just witnessing AI at work—I was seeing it create magic. AI had turned a fictional character into a real, interactive experience, transforming an ordinary day into something extraordinary.

But AI isn’t just reshaping entertainment; it’s transforming entire industries. From coding and business to how we shop and eat, algorithms are everywhere. But to understand how we got here, let’s take a quick journey back in time.

From Sci-Fi to Wi-Fi: A bite-sized history of AI and how it leapt off the pages of sci-fi books and into your everyday life.

Once upon a time, AI was pure science fiction. Machines as clever as humans? That was the stuff of Star Trek or 2001: A Space Odyssey. But today, AI is as real as your morning coffee—and maybe even a little sassier. (If your coffee machine ran on AI, it might cheekily ask, “Do you really need that third cup?”)

The journey from sci-fi dream to daily necessity wasn’t smooth. It began in the 1950s when Alan Turing posed the question, “Can machines think?” Early experiments were ambitious but clunky—machines learning chess while requiring constant rebooting. Then came the dreaded “AI winter” of the 1980s, where progress stalled, funding dried up, and hopes dimmed.

But like any great underdog story, AI came roaring back, powered by big data, better algorithms, and faster computing. The turning point? ChatGPT. When OpenAI launched it in 2022, AI went from being smart to conversational. Suddenly, we weren’t just using AI—we were talking to it. From quirky birthday messages to full-blown marketing strategies crafted in seconds, ChatGPT redefined productivity and creativity.

I’ve witnessed this AI revolution firsthand. While the different LLMs were groundbreaking, it wasn’t without its limitations. Sure, it could draft content in seconds, but when it came to solving real-world automation challenges—like seamlessly connecting disparate systems or executing complex workflows—it often fell short. And yes, it sometimes hallucinated answers, creating more confusion than clarity.

That’s where we stepped in, reimagining its potential and transforming it into something far more impactful.

Think of LLMs as the refrigerator—it’s a fantastic utility, but it’s only as good as what’s stocked inside. At my company, we provide those must-have essentials: the refreshing Coke for your thirst or the sugar-free cookies tailored to your needs. While we use leading LLMs as the engine, we’ve built a well-oiled machine that doesn’t just deliver—it anticipates, streamlines, and innovates.

Next: Part 4: The Algorithm Takeover: When Your Fridge Knows More About You Than Your Best Friend (and other strange AI realities).